Now that truck drivers are by far the hottest commodity in the supply chain, some organizations believe pampering them will prevent attrition. Although tractor-trailer and other heavy-duty vehicle operators have seen salaries climb, the sometimes rough OTR lifestyle has led to early leaving and career changes.
“What people sometimes fail to understand is it’s not always about the pay,” former trucker Josh Stephens reportedly said. “It’s about being treated like a human being.”
Trucking organizations have fought a seemingly uphill battle with government agencies to improve basic infrastructure needs such as safe overnight parking spaces. Even after the federal government sought trucking organizations’ input on the $1.2 trillion infrastructure spending package, the number of parking spots may take a backseat to other priorities.
“The picture of the marketplace has not fundamentally changed,” University of Minnesota economics prof. Stephen Burks reportedly said. “Long-haul truckers can spend weeks on end away from home. It’s never been a very attractive job.”
That may be why Prime Inc plans to increase so-called “luxury” amenities at its truck stops. With a fleet upwards of 6,700 trucks and 9,000 drivers, Prime recruits between 120-150 trainees each week. The freight hauling giant uses common incentives such as sign-on bonuses to compete for qualified CDL holders. But as an industry leader, the company also possesses 12 truck terminals and three have already been upgraded to luxury status.
The outfit’s recently competed Salt Lake City facility has a regulation-size basketball court, spa, movie theater, and offers daycare. Add that to a physician’s office, in-house dining, sleep accommodations, laundromat, and spa, and time on the road can be a tad more enjoyable.
“My body isn’t as young as it used to be,” 59-year-old native of Portland, Ore., Mark Dolson reportedly said. “It makes it nice.”
Dolson has reportedly been a trucker for 33 years, with his last eight at Prime. He routinely utilizes the facility’s spa, salon, and partakes in 90-minute massages from an onsite therapist. Whether it’s the money, bonuses, or investment into quality of life amenities, Prime continues to attract truckers. Reports indicate the national freight organization has been able to bring local route drivers into its OTR ranks during a period when many are gravitating toward local and regional routes.
Attrition remains high in the trucking sector with newly-minted CDL holders leaving early due to the culture shock of being on the road with few amenities. Experienced truckers feel like they’ve made their money and prefer to spend more time with friends and family than nights in noisy rest areas or parked along the sides of interstates.
However, Prime reportedly posts a lower attrition rate than many of its competitors. Whether pampering its workforce with spas and movie nights is the reason, it’s difficult to know for sure. But when salaries and bonuses are about equal, who wouldn’t take the job offering a massage?
Sources: businessinsider.com, news.yahoo.com
We definitely need better places to stop at night in Virginia sure Ther is a service plaza that has a good bit of spots however the person that resided how close they should be has never driven. The rows are so close the swig makes it hard to use all those parking spots. Then to have the RVs with their pop out. Hey look we can park for free and put our slides out. There you go again now 1 vehicle just took 3 spots.
This industry needs many improvements. Stop taking restaurants out and putting worthless fast food in. More safe and cleaner truck stops. Less regulation, less discrimination in taxes etc.
What we need is are safe places to park with plenty of room. Also I feel like the truck stops are raping the hell out of us. When a bottle of fuel treatment is $25 and you can buy the same bottle at Walmart for 11. Or 115 for a brake chamber that sells at the parts store for 70. Someone is getting rich and it ain’t us.
Regardless of what truckstops offer, doesn’t mean a thing if they’re full at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. That’s why I refuse to take loads east of the Mississippi River. At least out west, there’s enough places to find to park at night where I don’t feel the need to sleep with a gun under my pillow.
How about restrooms or porta potties at shippers or receivers especially when it takes forever to load unload bout ready to call it quits after 20 years
Having “luxury” stuff at a home terminal is worthless. How much time is the dispatch going to afford you to use all this great spa, movie, basketball, and theatre stuff, and how often do you even get to a ‘home’ terminal? Best thing for a driver to do is only work for companies that are west of the Rockies.
these luxuries will have to be done by individual companies for their drivers. There is too many drivers out there that have no respect for other drivers or property sad to say but it is true
Snowflake generation
I’ve been at this game a while .but what is a luxury truckstop, like washroom valets , valet parking, gourmet meals, and better prices
The driver was wrong. IT IS about the money. Why else would I drive a truck.
Did it work for trucking companies? The trend began there quite some time ago in USA and Canada. There are some beautiful luxury facilities at a lot of trucking company yards,now. An article was published here at thetruckersreport about 6-8 months ago about a ‘5 star trucker yard’ that Prime Inc. built. Very nice. Loaded with amenities for drivers. Challenger Motor Freight in Canada were one of the first to do that probably 15 years ago. Bison Motorfreight built a nice facility like that at their Shawson yard in Mississauga about 7-8 years ago,too.